Author: Madison Julius Cawein

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I.

    One night when trees were tumbled down,
    And wild winds shook at sea the sail,
    Old Gammer Gaffer, lean and brown,
    Chuckled and whistled on her nail;
    Then seized her broom and, mounting it,
    Flew up the chimney with her cat;
    All Dogtown bayed to see her flit,
    The screech-owl shrieked, and, lightning-lit,
    About her head flew black the bat.

II.

    Her crow-like body, humped and black,
    Seemed part and portion of her broom;
    The black cat, crouched upon her back,
    Lit with its yellow eyes the gloom.
    Towards Gloucester Town she took her flight,
    And night grew wilder as she went;
    The wind blew out the fisher's light,
    And tore his sails in tatters white,
    And strewed them through the firmament.

III.

    Old shutters clapped and windows rapped,
    And shingles shook as if in pain;
    Her besom on each old door slapped
    And flapped as, cloaked and conical-capped,
    Whisked by old Gammer Gaffer's train.

IV.

    To window-panes, where candle-light
    Showed some good wife who sat alone,
    She pressed her sharp face, skinny white,
    And knocked with knuckled hands of bone:
    Then croaked and mumbled, like the draught
    That grumbles in the chimney-flue;
    Or on the gables danced and laughed,
    Her old cloak flapping as if daft,
    While round her face her wild hair blew.

V.

    Old gutters dripped and dead leaves skipped,
    And wildly struck the village clock,
    As off a shutter here she ripped,
    Old Gammer! or like madness whipped
    Around and 'round some weather-cock.

VI.

    Then at one door she shook the latch,
    And to a cranny set her chin
    And croaked:"Hey! here's an egg to hatch.
    Eh? Goodie Brown, come, take it in.
    I've news for ye! Good news! he! he!
    Your old man he's gone down at sea.
    There's something, eh? to hearten ye!
    Hey! what man now shall wear his shoes?"

VII.

    And, chuckling to herself, again
    Around the house she rode her broom;
    Then mounted to the weather-vane
    And whirled and maundered to the gloom:
    "Aye! weep, ye women! weep and wail!
    'Twas I who wrought your good men's weird!
    'Twas I who raised the Gloucester gale!
    'Twas I who tattered shroud and sail,
    And seized and drowned them, by my beard!"

VIII.

    Old sign-boards squeaked and gables creaked.
    And crazy gates closed with a bang,
    As, parrot-beaked and lanthorn-cheeked,
    Old Gammer round the belfry shrieked
    And made its cracked old bell go clang

IX.

    So round and round the old Cape Town
    She whirled and whined as whines the wind;
    Now this way blew her rag of gown,
    Now that way, through the blackness blind.
    And as she went she crowed and croaked.
    And crooned some snatch of devil's verse,
    While now and then her cat she stroked;
    And, in a wink, all capped and cloaked,
    Flew back to Dogtown with a curse.

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Type of Poem: Narrative Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem unfolds as a dramatic narrative that draws on elements of folklore and myth to paint a vivid and atmospheric portrait of a witch figure, Old Gammer Gaffer. The tone throughout is eerie and dark, with a sense of foreboding and menace building through the use of powerful and evocative imagery and language. The poet uses rich and varied descriptions to bring the character and her actions to life, imbuing her with a sense of otherworldly power and malevolence.

The structure of the poem, comprising nine stanzas, provides a strong rhythm to the narrative, and the poet employs a range of literary devices to enhance the mood and meaning of the piece. The use of repetition and rhyme creates a sense of incantation or spell, heightening the sense of magical realism and supernatural influence. The poem's setting is also critical, with the wild, stormy sea and the small, isolated town adding to the atmosphere of fear and suspense. The witch's cruel and gleeful delight in the misfortunes she causes, particularly the death of a fisherman at sea, underscores the theme of evil and its impacts on the community. The poem concludes with her return to her home, leaving a trail of chaos and fear in her wake. Overall, the poem is a compelling exploration of the archetype of the witch and her role as a symbol of destructive and malevolent forces within society.